Stunt insensitive to tinnitus sufferers

I’m amazed at people’s stupidity, especially the Guinness Book of World Records. Recently it was involved in trying to establish the record for a high decibel level at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs. As a tinnitus sufferer, I find this totally irresponsible.

I wonder how many people left that game with symptoms of tinnitus, if not the full-blown condition. Sleep is impossible when you have tinnitus. And before anyone suggests sleeping pills and such, they make it worse. Everything is a trigger: salt, caffeine, cola drinks, loud noises, certain foods and stress. Just try to keep your stress level at a minimum when you cannot sleep, and your ears are ringing constantly.

It took me eight months to get a decent night’s sleep. And I followed all the protocols, eating right, exercising — try doing that when you can’t sleep. There are 60 million people who suffer from varying degrees of tinnitus. That is one sixth of the population, of which 10 million people are completely incapacitated. Suicide is another result. Shame on Guinness and Arrowhead.

There are many important municipal elections scheduled this year throughout Miami-Dade County. The impact of those elections on local residents spans across many issues, like personal safety and security, taxation, and neighborhood recareation programs.

Because these issues often affect the quality of residential life and the delivery of municipal public services, residents should take more than passing interest in who their candidates are and what they stand for. It is most important for all of us to become informed and vote.